Improving the productivity of degraded pasture land through demonstration of legume forage over sowing: The case of Ayba pasture land, South Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract The study was undertaken in Northern Ethiopia, at Emba Alaje District, to assess forage yield of the natural pasture over sown with adapted legume forage. The design was a single plot design and the treatments were farmers’ practice and Vicia sativa over sown. A total of 60 quadrats of 1 by 1 m2 size were used for herbaceous species composition, above ground biomass and dry matter yield and analyzed by t-test equal variances using R-software. Over sowing legume forage increased dry matter yield significantly as compared with the farmers’ practice pasture land. The higher dry matter yield was recorded for pasture land over sown with Vicia sativa (3.43 ton/ha). Vicia sativa over sown also increased the basal cover of herbaceous (2.28) compared to farmers’ practice (1.47). Similarly, the Vicia sativa over sown pasture land had significantly (p < 0.001) higher forage biomass than the farmers’ practice area. Results from the comparative analysis also indicated that Vicia sativa over sown on the degraded grazing land had a higher cost effective than the existing farmers’ practice as the calculated net return was found to be positive. It is, therefore, concluded that over sowing degraded grazing land with Vicia sativa improves biomass yield, and it is also cost-effective as compared with farmers’ practice. Therefore, based on the finding of the study it is highly recommended that the concerned governmental and nongovernmental organization should give emphasis to promote Vicia sativa over sown for the rehabilitation of degraded pasture land.